community of dyers

For a true red, I think equal parts of red MX-5B and orange MX-2R makes a good mixture. Mix this up and try a little on a white rag or a white paper towel.

The real key to a true red is to use enough dye! If you use too little dye powder, you will get pink instead of red. Red is almost like black, you have to use a LOT of dye powder to get a true bright red. Use five or six teaspoons of dye powder per 8-ounce cup of water, for tie-dyeing true red.

The blue on a flag is easier to get than you'd think, because any deep royal blue or navy blue will do the job, visually. I like Dharma's Strong Navy mix, which is a mixture of reactive blue 9 and red MX-5B. Cobalt, that is, blue MX-2G, ought to work, since it's a reliable dark navy, but to me it's a little boring. I think It'd try mixing it half and half with cerulean blue, or adding a little of another blue to cobalt. A dark concentration of blue MX-R, which Dharma calls "sky blue", is also a good color for this; it's really a navy blue if you use it at a strong intensity.

Always test any new color (or anything!) before using it on a large project. Do something small first as a test.

-Paula